The Honor Colorado movement, led by former President Horacio Cartes, consolidated its hegemony within the Colorado Party by winning 239 of the 263 districts in the internal elections held last Sunday. The preliminary results, released by the Superior Electoral Court (TSJE) through the Preliminary Electoral Results Transmission system (TREP), indicate that the Cartista movement will represent the National Republican Association (ANR) in the vast majority of municipalities in the October 4 elections.
Of Honor Colorado's 239 victories, only 22 went to the Colorado Party dissidents, distributed among Colorado Añetete (8), Fuerza Republicana (6), and Causa Republicana (2), plus two districts still to be determined. The few opposition victories were concentrated in localities such as Sargento José F. López, San Juan del Paraná, San Rafael del Paraná, Gral. Bernardino Caballero, General José E. Díaz, and Mariscal Estigarribia.
ANR party representative Eduardo González stated Monday in an interview on the program "Arriba hoy," broadcast by GEN and Universo 970 AM radio, that the movement seeks to bring the 22 dissident candidates into the fold. "We are going to do everything possible so that those 22 candidates feel embraced, accompanied, and we want to win in those 23 districts as list 1," he declared. González highlighted that Honor Colorado is the movement with the longest-standing presence in Paraguay's democratic era, having competed since 2010.
One of the closest races took place in Ciudad del Este, but between candidates from Honor Colorado itself: Rigoberto Chamorro defeated Magno Alvarez. Deputy Raúl Latorre, campaign chief for winner Camilo Pérez, announced that the main Honor Colorado leaders would visit the Colorado Añetete campaign headquarters this morning in a gesture of reconciliation ahead of the municipal elections.
Attending the meeting were figures such as former Minister Arnoldo Wiens, Deputy Daniel Centurión, Omar Pico, and Deputy Mauricio Espínola, who had served as campaign chief for Arnaldo Samaniego in the primaries. The only one who would remain outside this unity effort is former President Mario Abdo Benítez, who announced that he does not intend to reconcile with the other party sectors.
Turnout in this year's primaries reached 48.3%, maintaining the historical trend of participation above 42% in Colorado Party internal elections since 1992, with the exception of 2000, when the rate dropped to 36% during the race for the vice-presidential candidacy.